Exotics

Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea'

Unique and highly ornamental large shrub or small tree for a very sheltered site in full sun. Bright blue-green leaves with new growth deep plum-purple through the growing season. Golden yellow 'Mimosa' flowers in early spring. Easy in a pot, can be hard pruned every year. Takes a fair amount of frost, though is best sited sensibly. My best selling plant by far.

Acacia pataczekii

Only described in 1978 from a discovery in the cool highlands of Tasmania, 'Wally's Wattle' is the hardiest of all Acacias, known to tolerate as low as -18c! A large evergreen shrub or very small tree here in the UK, with a dense bushy crown of linear blue-green leaves (actually phyllodes) and a mass of pale yellow little balls of flower in late winter. Most rare!

Agave ovatifolia NJM 09.002

The 'whale tongue agave' was officially described in only 2002, this new species from the far north east corner of Mexico is, without question, one of the most stunning of all. Very chunky perfectly formed rosettes, 120cm across by 90cm tall at their maximum, are composed of icy-blue, very deeply scalloped leaves. Proven one of the hardiest and easiest in the garden. Fabuloso!

Agave parrasana

From the Sierra de Parras in the middle of the Chihuahuan desert, this is related to A. parryi, though it has a look all its own. Even at maturity this is a stubby, squat, spiny little beast, with relatively wide leaves compared to their length and a height of only about 30cm. The foliage is bluish-grey with hooked lateral spines. Pretty hardy, but best in a pot.

Aloe striatula var. caesia (new)

The strictly high altitude, greyer leaved and supposedly hardier variety from around Molteno in the E. Cape. Easily growable outside throughout milder parts of the UK, but also possible further inland in very sheltered, sunny, very well drained spots. Multi-stemmed to 1.5m, topped by yellow Kniphofia-like flowers in July over the succulent grey-green leaves.

Amicia zygomeris

A most exotic looking large perennial pea from Mexico, with strong growth to about2.5m. Pinnate foliage has leaflets with indented tips, giving a very distinct effect. Highly conspicuous large pale green, but heavily purple-red stained, stipules on the stems and large deep yellow pea flowers in late summer, makes for a striking specimen! Absolutely bone hardy in my experience, even through Dec' 2010, without a mulch. Sun.

Arundo donax 'Macrophylla'

Giant reed. A truly gigantic thing, forming big clumps of blue-green towering foliage to 3m+ high. This is the wider leaved form, good for even more exotic effect, with leaves as wide as a good belt, with long tapering tips. Looks great as a backdrop, or even as a frontdrop if you like that sort of thing. Any ordinary soil in full sun.

Astelia fragrans (new)

This New Zealand evergreen bears a rosette of slightly silver-green sword like foliage on a clump 1m x 1m. Fragrant basally held spring flowers followed by orange berries. Makes a striking contrast to things like Muehlenbeckia astonii, which it grows together with in nature. Happy in inland or exposed coastal conditions. For well drained, but not dry soil.

Begonia 'Mishmi Silver'

New from Arunachal Pradesh, Far NE India, is this as yet unidentified species. The leaves on the horizontal stems have an olive-green background but are heavily silvered between the veins and have dark red undersides. Reaches to 30cm high with pale pink flowers in summer. Hardiness unknown, so experiment if you like, or over-winter it inside.

Begonia 'Torsa' (new)

A hybrid of a Bhutanese species and B. grandis, this has much of the latter species visual appearance, but produces much larger, thicker textured leaves up to 48 x 35.5cm. The latter are most handsomely net-veined in red beneath and are held on red-banded green stems, topped in late summer by pale pink flowers. Hardy in the ground, like B. grandis.

Begonia emeiensis (new)

One of the hardiest of all Begonia, this Chinese species makes bold clumps of broad, bright green, shallowly lobed foliage that even shows some iridescence in the right light. Large pale pink flowers. Very hardy, given a shaded moist site and well drained soil, preferably high in open organic matter. Mulch over for greater winter protection, but you shouldn't need it.

Begonia fusca

Originally collected in Chiapas, S. Mexico, this is a very large leaved species of monumental proportions, with leaves up to 1m across on petioles of the same length! Without warmth and tropical humidity they are a little smaller. Large panicles of pale pink flowers, then pink seed capsules. Splendid in a pot stood in shade in summer; brought inside in winter.

Begonia grandis subsp. sinensis 'Snowpop'

A new white flowered form of this hardy Begonia species named here at Pan Global'. The subsp. sinensis has smaller, prettier leaves than the commoner subsp. evansiana and in this form they have particularly attractive red veining underneath. Masses of small white flowers in late summer/early autumn above the leaves. For semi shade in humusy soil. 45cm.

Begonia heracleifolia 'Nigricans' (new)

One of the finest Begonia for spectacular foliage; each large, deeply and sharply lobed palmate leaf is up to 38cm across and boldly and randomly marked with greenish-black, turning greener as they age. These are held on red speckled petioles up to 36cm long and pale pink flowers are borne on stalks up to at least 70cm tall. A great houseplant, or outside in summer only.

Begonia josephi (new)

From NE India, this mainly Himalayan species has peltate foliage, either simple or with two strong pointed lobes on the upper half of the leaf. Some are green below, others with red tints. Under the right shading the leaves can show very good iridescence. Pure white flowers. This has a little hardiness, but mulch well if you want to try it outside over winter.

Begonia koelzii NJM 12.077 (new)

A new species, very recently described, though originally found by Kingdon Ward in Manipur. One of the most splendid foliage Begonias with very large, palmate, heavily dissected leaves on red spotted petioles. Pink flowers in late summer. Makes a very bold clump up to 50cm high by 75cm across. Possibly hardy outside with a mulch but untested so far.

Begonia palmata 'Tye Dye'

A Michael Wickenden discovery from Arunachal Pradesh, this extremely handsome introduction has large deeply lobed olive green leaves, velvety to the touch and heavily marked with silver, red marked under. Reaches 40cm with small pink flowers seen in summer. Hardiness unknown, so experiment if you like, or over-winter it inside.

Begonia pedatifida 'Apalala' (new)

An exceptional foliage form of this very hardy Chinese species, named here, with the broad leaves cut into multiple, often overlapping, sharply pointed lobes. Large lightly scented pure white flowers in mid to late summer. Fully hardy outside in even the coldest winters in rural Gloucestershire, forming a splendid clump. Well drained, open, humus rich soil in part shade, mulched in winter if you're scared.

Begonia silletensis var. mengyangensis (new)

Big, sumptuous, glossy, bright green foliage up to 27 x 27cm and highly fragrant pure white flowers in spring, up to 15 per inflorescence. The whole plant up to 50cm tall, this is suited to pot culture in the UK, overwintered frost free. An endemic of the very far south of Yunnan, China, growing in riverside shaded habitat.

Begonia sp. U614 (new)

Introduced and sold incorrectly as B. sikkimensis by Michael Wickendon from Arunachal Pradesh, this highly attractive probable new species has wonderfully deeply lobed and lacerated foliage in shades of silvery grey and green, with a deep red underside and white flowers. Reasonably hardy outside with a winter mulch, though superb in a pot too.